Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-02
SUNDAY. ....JANUARf 2, 1881
The Interstate Commerce Bill.

one which 1t rs pext to Impossible 10 per
form so as TO satisfy the community at large
and at the same time do nothing to hamper
The common carriers-nothing to render
these less seryiceablc than they now are.
wehsye read as much upon the subject, we
supposc, as almost any person. We have
read able and exhaustive speeches
made by practical railroad-men-for IL Is
the railroads, after all, rather than any
other common carriers that Congress Is
seeking 10 control-and the more we have
read the more difficult has IL seemed ii
would be for Congress TO frame law that
would be Just TO both shipper and carrier.
We stated Thursday that the Committee
ON Inland Trade (of the Chamber OF Com
nerce Of this city had adopted the follow
ing resolution
Resolred, That in the opinion OF this
meeting the provisions OF sections and 3
Of the senate bill No. 1882 known a. the
"conference bill y. for the regulation OF
commerce between the States, would be Diet.
nmental 10 the interests Of this community,
and therefore that we recommend to the
Chamber of Commerce OF this city to re-
Quest our representative IN Congress to OPP
pose the passage OF said conference bill or
apy other bill containing the same or SINH
lar provisions as those contained In said
sections 4 and OF said conference bill.
That committee consists Of Messrs. A.
II. CHRISTIAN, Jr., o. l.. CoTrRELL, Il. ID.
TAYtoR, JOIN S. Elicit, and JOIN b.
PURCELL-and in consultation with them
4 ~
BLANKENsHIP, II. A. DUNLOP, j. w.
CRIsGAN, and Gus MILLHIsER.
The sections referred to are, we suppose,
sections and 8, Of the bill as reported
from the conference committees OF the two
houses, These sections read as follows:
Section A. That It shall be unlawful for
any common carrier subject to the pro-
visions OF this act to charge or receive any
greater compensation in the aggregate for
the transportation OF passengers or OF like
kind OF property, under substantially SINH
Isr circumstances aud conditions, for q
shorter than for longer distance over the
snme line, in the same direction, the shorter
being included within the longer distance;
but this shall not be construed as author
izng any common carrier within the terms
OF this act 10 charge and receive as great
eompensatlon for shorter as for longer
t,,stance: Provided, however, that upon
spplicatiou 10 the commission appointed
unfier the provisions of this act such CON-
NOR carrier may, in special cases, after in
vesfiration by the commission, be au.
tborjzed 10 charge less for longer than for
shorter distances for the transportation OF
Messengers or property, and the commits
sioo NAV from time to time prescribe the
exent 10 which such designated COM
mon carrier may be relieved from the opera
ton OF this section OF this act.
Section 8. That IL snail be unlawful Tor
any common carrier subject to the pro.
visions OF this act to enter into any con.
tract, agreement, or combination with any
other common carrier or carriers for the
pooling OF freights OF different and CON-
netting railroads, or TO divide between them
The aggregate or net proceeds OF the earn
ipgs OF such railroads, or any portion
thereof: and In any case OF an agreement
for the pooling OF fTe:ghts as aforesaid,
each dsy OF its continuance shall be deemed
a separate offence.
That fourth section confesses ia It's very
terms that the subject is one with which ii
Is most difficult to deal properly. First,
the railroads are prohibited sGom charging
more for a short than q long haul; then
they are told 0or ii Is nothing else than q
mere say.so) that this prohibition IL not to
be construed as allowing them TO charge as
much for short as for long haul; and
the section winds up by entrusting the
whole subject to the commission provided
for IN the bill. Why not at first empower
the commission TO DO what 1t is to be al.
lowed to do in the end!
The Nashville Union objects to clothing
the proposed commission with the powers
with which the bill provides for clothing
them. 1t says:
"Tbis bill, as II Is framed, gives the
commission unlimited power and discre-
ton 10 discriminate between individuals,
cities, sections, and localities. Tue commits.
sion may, under the PROVISIONS OF the 4h
section OF this bill, at any time IN iheirjudg-
ment they deem proper, suspeBd the opera
ton OF this law as 10 one individual and
leave II 10 operation as TO another, or
they may do likewise in dealing with cities,
sections, or localities; which Is preferable,
and which will more certainly guarantee
TO the shipper equal and exact iustice--al-
lowing the right to discriminate 10 remain,
as this law seems to recognize Is now the
case with the railroads whose interests are
in common with the interests OF all the ship
pers on the line OF their reads. and who are
directly interested In building up the
country that their roads traverse, or
TO place this unprecedented power in the
hands Of five gentlemen, whose inte'
rests all lie In five iocalttsesl But the true
statement OF the case Is that this bill seeks
A. f..l.t . "A s.,hfc oh
does not now exist anywhere, and lodge
this power with i've individuals. Under
the law as II now exists. both at comm On
ard statutory law. no rsilroad Ia any State,
so far as we have examined, can discrimi'
nate between individuals or cities where
the services rendered are identical, vet
this law gives that power 10 a board that
can have no interest In common With the
shipper.
" IL the railrosd does not protect rs
shipper II kills the goose that lays the
golden egg and destroys It's own business,
and makes dividends To it, stockholders an
impossiblity. This fact is recognized by
4 sll wise men IN the management OF rail.
roads, and hence the shipper Is safer at the
mercy Of the corporation than In the hand,
Of Eve individuals. for the shipper OF a
locality, or even q section. and the en-
tire Nufiht>s VI Wnptt Uu' VI tblOi1
may he ruined and destroyed without In
the least affecting these five gentlemen, who
are given the most extraordinary DO
ever delegated by legislative body IN this
county or Europe, aud powers never con-
tmpialed nor authorized by our Consttu.
ton. 1bis Is creating power 10 diseriml
nate, and in the worst form Imaginable
We trust that no one will understand u'
as opposing proper legislation 10 regard 70
This allImporiant matter. We are DESTROYS
Of doing whatever ought to be done, and
would, IL we could, lend helping baud to
Congress. But We confess that we ieaI
10 launch away and would have all per.
sons who are qualified 70 do so give whole
some advice to their congressman, 10 this
behalf. That body cannot be too cautious,
i The people Of any State have the right %
ceuplsinof discriminating railroad charges,
me people Of Virginia have that
</&I< nsd 80 t~<.ef tb.t The forf1nF1